What Are the Most Common Medical Malpractice Claims?
Medical malpractice is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, with some reports placing medical malpractice deaths as high as 440,000 per year. Medical malpractice occurs when a physician or other health care professional fails to meet the accepted standards for their profession when providing patient care. A patient can suffer a malpractice injury in various settings, from hospitals and outpatient surgery centers to family doctors’ offices.
The following highlights some of the most common medical malpractice claims across the U.S. If you or your loved one suffered a medical malpractice injury, contact an experienced New Mexico medical malpractice attorney.
Failure to Diagnose or Misdiagnosis
Failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis is the most common type of medical malpractice, accounting for nearly 1/3 of malpractice cases. When a serious medical condition, such as cancer, goes untreated, a patient’s condition can worsen, become untreatable, or even result in death.
Surgical Error
Surgical errors can kill, maim, or cause a patient to need corrective or emergency surgeries. Surgical errors may include:
- Unnecessary surgeries;
- Anesthesia errors;
- Cutting or removing the wrong organ;
- Leaving a foreign object inside a patient; and
- Infection.
Pre-operative and post-operative errors can also result in life-altering medical complications.
Birth Injury
A birth injury can occur at any point during pregnancy, labor, or delivery and cause harm to a baby or mother.
Birth injuries may be the result of:
- Inadequate prenatal care;
- Improper use of forceps or force at birth;
- Failure to recognize fetal distress;
- Failure to perform a timely C-section; or
- Dropping or mishandling a baby after birth.
The most common birth injury is cerebral palsy. Other birth injuries include, but are not limited to:
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE);
- Perinatal asphyxia;
- Bone fractures;
- Spinal cord injuries;
- Head and brain injuries;
- Facial paralysis;
- Brachial plexus injury; and
- Intracranial hemorrhage.
Many birth injuries are due to a lack of oxygen to the baby or the use of forceps during delivery.
Prescription Drug Errors
Prescription drug errors can happen in hospitals, residential care facilities, pharmacies, and doctors’ offices. Anytime a medicine is prescribed, filled, or administered, there is a chance for patient harm.
Prescription drug errors may occur when:
- A doctor prescribes the wrong medicine for a condition;
- A doctor prescribes the right medicine for a condition but in the wrong dosage;
- A pharmacist provides the wrong medicine or dosage to a patient;
- A doctor or pharmacist fails to check for allergies or drug interactions when prescribing or filling a prescription; or
- A nurse administers the wrong medication to a hospitalized patient.
Speak with an Experienced New Mexico Medical Malpractice Attorney
Medical malpractice cases are complex and require both legal and medical expertise to pursue. If you suspect your medical provider of substandard care and you were harmed as a result, contact the New Mexico personal injury attorneys at Liles White today. With more than twenty years of experience, Liles White has the resources and knowledge to investigate your medical malpractice claim. We can identify all liable parties and help you recover full and fair compensation for your injuries.
Speak with a New Mexico medical malpractice attorney at Liles White right away. You may prevent a negligent healthcare provider from harming another patient. Contact us today to get started and find out how our law firm can help you.